You enter the cancer pathway through another route
What are these other routes?
You may get urgent cancer investigations after attending A&E, seeing your specialist at hospital or through the National Cancer Screening Programmes. The programmes consist of the bowel cancer screening using the poo sampling test kit (known as FIT), cervical cancer screening, and breast cancer screening. Additionally you may be contacted for a lung health check.
What do I need to do after being referred for an urgent appointment even though it was not by my GP?
Your appointment and the referral process will be the same as someone who is referred directly by a GP or a dentist. You should receive your letter and your appointment date within two weeks of being seen for your symptoms. If you have not got an appointment by then, you must contact the referring team or your GP.
Will my GP know that I have been referred for an urgent cancer investigations appointment?
Most surgeries will get a notification by electronic mail and sometimes there can be a delay in sending or receiving this. You are welcome to share any information you receive with your GP practice, if you think they have not got this information.
Disclaimer
This checklist as been co-created with residents, patients and carers from the five north central London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington, as well as healthcare professionals. The checklist gives an overall picture of the main steps in the cancer pathway but recognises there will be variation for many people. The signposted third party resources have been carefully selected and verified. We endeavour to ensure they are current and active but cannot guarantee this.